Production Qualities Need To Be In Spotlight

April 2, 1993|By JACK ZINK, Theater Writer

The first time it happened, the effect was stunning. In a converted storefront theater space, a handful of hardly paid local designers created a whole fantasy world that an unsuspecting audience just had to believe in.

The achievement, and others that followed during the past few years, changed the perception and standards of what South Florida`s showcase theaters can -- and should -- be.

But the talent and imagination that exploded into my eyes that night at Miami Beach`s Area Stage, and occasionally at another playhouse or two, seldom extend elsewhere in the region`s theater community.

By definition, showcase theaters are low-budget operations that use nonunion and semiprofessional actors, all too often on stages equipped with a few props and a painted flat. Over the years, the actors and the people who direct them have gotten better -- you can expect some pretty exciting drama and wild comedy at these places.

From the performances.

The props and flat-black backgrounds, and harsh lighting that go with them, have been taken for granted too long by those actors and directors, by audiences and even critics. The excuses are that good scenery is something you can`t negotiate, lighting is the most expensive technical aspect of any production, and good designers who know how to use them are both few and expensive.

That`s often true, but as John Rodaz consistently shows at the Area Stage, solid training, a good eye and plenty of imagination can give these shows luminous qualities that transport the audience just as effectively as a six- figure set on an arts center stage.

The lesson was driven home a few weeks ago at the Majestic Glades Theatre, when actor Ed Schiff parted a set of curtains in what was supposed to be a living room during Play of Lights. There was no window or frame -- just flat black plywood. The whole scene`s dramatic impact flew apart during what seemed to me to be pure vaudeville: Schiff expounding upon human relations to the wood.

A painted flat wall lighted by a stage lamp at or near full-power is typical of too many other playhouses whose operators know better, but figure they can coast. The Drama Center`s mundane designs echo those of local theaters a generation ago, and the Public Theatre seems almost proud of its threadbare production qualities.

I actually counted the lights in the ceiling at the Area Stage on the night I first set foot in the place. There were just nine, but their use offered a haunting chiaroscuro effect that I still remember, even though the name of the play escapes me. Since then, the designs for Lisbon Traviata and K2 were even more incredible.

Palm Beach Community College`s Jeff Guzik, since moved out of state, was responsible for giving the Theatre Club of the Palm Beaches its first two seasons of wild, gamey visuals that helped establish the troupe as an instant hit. His On the Verge set, of splatter-painted movable panels, is still a remarkable achievement. Steve Placido, who can be one of the most expensive designers to hire, also can create magic from almost nothing, as actors often credit him with doing these days at the Odyssey Theatre in West Palm Beach.

Among the up-and-coming playhouses, the Plantation Theatre Company is beginning to develop some style. Its recent Streetcar Named Desire had a few striking visual touches, and its latest, A Coupla White Chicks Sitting Around Talking, is a good example of straightforward realism.

Time is running out for the hacks, because patrons are beginning to realize they don`t have to settle for visual junk. The showcase community needs to get together and share a few ideas with one another to capitalize on the potential for technical development. How about trading ideas as well as borrowing props from one another? And if nothing else, a few design workshops could inspire a whole new trend.

TALES OF TWO SIMONS

The latest announcement of a new community-showcase theater project comes from the western reaches of the Palm Beaches. Based at the Gol Don Cultural Center in Royal Palm Beach, the Royal Palm Performing Arts Theatre plans to stage a revival of Neil Simon`s 1980-81 Broadway flop, Fools, about a Russian village cursed with stupidity, April 16-24.

The troupe is designed as a resident company for the center directed by Peter Pagliaro, a former Palm Beach Community College theater student with experience at other local showcase operations. Tickets for Fools are $5 and $6. For information, call 790-2499.

In Tequesta, the Burt Reynolds Theatre is holding over its revival of Neil Simon`s The Good Doctor for an additional long weekend, Thursday through April 11. The play, a late-season substitute, is another of Simon`s Russian-styled comedies -- a series of sketches based on stories by Anton Chekhov originally done on Broadway in 1974-75. For information, call 746-8887.